After Syracuse falters, Florida and Wichita State jockey for No. 1 (Sports Illustrated)
With No. 1 Syracuse losing on Wednesday night many power rankings are undergoing changes, and that includes Luke Winn’s power rankings. The new team on top of the poll: Florida, which is a serious threat to run the table in the SEC. But they, like any other national title contender this season, have a flaw that can be exploited according to Winn.

On Rainier Beach (The Classical)
Rainier Beach High School in Seattle has given the game of basketball some special players over the years, including Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson. And this season they’re once again among the best teams in the nation, with Louisville signee Shaqquan Aaron being one of their talented prospects. How do they do it year in and year out? By being different.

Inside Kentucky Basketball: Why it’s now or never in 2014 (Bleacher Report)
Kentucky has one of the nation’s most visible programs, with factors such as their sustained excellence and prowess on the recruiting trail being two reasons why. John Calipari’s got a team that currently has an 18-5 record and hopes of making a run at the school’s ninth national title. And whether or not they get there will depend on the maturation of the freshmen.

Tall Firs history puts new spin on tourney (Eugene Register-Guard)
Oregon won the first national title in 1939, with a group dubbed the “Tall Firs” leading the way. Terry Frei has written a book on the first tournament entitled “March 1939,” which focuses not only on Oregon but also the NCAA and NIT tournaments with the latter seen by some as being the more prestigious at the time.

BYU, Gonzaga in their own incredible universe (Deseret News)
Late Thursday night BYU and Gonzaga played a game of high importance in Provo, with the Cougars looking to add a quality win to their resume and the Bulldogs hoping to clinch the WCC title. BYU ended up winning 73-65, and while many focused on the Duke/North Carolina tilt played earlier in the night the fans in attendance found this one to be important as well.

The “Gentle Giant” leads by example, on and off the court (The New Hampshire)
New Hampshire senior center Chris Pelcher has been a quality member of the UNH program since transferring in from Iona, and he’s been a good example both on and off the court for head coach Bill Herrion. After having missed time due to a leg injury Pelcher’s looking to find his groove during the stretch run.

Penn senior to be honored by basketball writers association (Philadelphia Daily News)
On Thursday the United States Basketball Writers Association announced its three winners of its Most Courageous Award, one of whom is Penn senior guard Dau Jok. Jok and his family, which includes a younger brother named Peter who currently plays at Iowa, fled South Sudan amidst civil unrest.

A program on the upswing (Sports on Earth)
When Larry Brown accepted the head coaching job at SMU, the question was whether or not he’d be around long enough to rebuild a program that hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1993. Well in his second season at the school Brown has the program well-positioned to reach the NCAA tournament, and this could just be the beginning for SMU basketball.